Space of freedom and order: inauguration of Collegium Intermarium

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Representatives of state authorities, outstanding academics and journalists from Poland and abroad take part in the conference inaugurating the establishment of Collegium Intermarium. The goal of the new university is to create a platform of co-operation between academics from the Intermarium region. Its flagship field of specialisation is law, but it also offers a rich programme of postgraduate study courses. The conference was opened, among others, by the Deputy Prime Minister Professor Piotr Gliński, and the Minister of Education and Science Przemysław Czarnek, Ph.D. The speakers’ presentations concerned such subjects as academic freedom, the cultural identity of the Intermarium region and economic integration and development.

“Today we are facing the challenge of gaining real multidimensional sovereignty. For the first time in centuries we have an opportunity to create an area for co-operation between the sovereign states of the Intermarium. Nations of our part of the world have much in common: a mutual culture, respect for the past and the love of the European heritage that so many people try to negate today”, stressed Tymoteusz Zych, Ph.D., rector of the university.

The event was also attended by Piotr Mazurek – Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance Tadeusz Kościński and the judge of the Supreme Court Jan Majchrowski, Ph.D. In addition, representatives of the authorities of other countries were present, including Lady Caroline Cox from the British House of Lords, the President of the Hungarian Constitutional Court Tamas Sulyok, Ph.D., the Secretary of State in the Hungarian Ministry of Family Gergely Ekler and Sviatoslav Yurash – a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The former Prime Minister and President of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus and the Hungarian MEP Erno Schaller-Barros also took part in the event. Among the speakers there were also the former judge of the Court in Strasbourg Francisco Javier Borrego Borrego and former judges of the Constitutional Tribunal Professor Maria Gintowt-Jankowicz and Professor Zbigniew Cieślak. A letter from the Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was also read out.

The participants also included numerous representatives of academia from around the world. The conference was attended, among others, by Gladden Papin, Ph.D. from the University of Dallas, Chantal Delsol, Ph.D. – a French philosopher and historian, Princess Professor Ingrid Detter de Frankopan – John Paul II’s former adviser, Alejandro Chaufen, Ph.D. – Managing Director of the Action Institute, and Stephen Baskerville, Ph.D. There was also a number of well-known journalists – Paweł Lisicki, Rod Dreher, Josh Hammer and Matthew Tyrmand. The host of the event was Krzysztof Ziemiec.

The inauguration of the university was an opportunity to discuss the future of higher education and development opportunities for the Intermarium region. The topics of the speeches included cultural issues related to the identity of the region, academic freedom and possibilities of its protection, as well as prospects for the social and economic development of Central & Eastern Europe.

The academic year at Collegium Intermarium starts in October. The university will offer uniform law studies and many postgraduate study courses. In addition, an English postgraduate LL.M. course on the subject of human rights will be launched, the first of its kind in Central Europe.

The conference is broadcast on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qQB8NcTxoU

To learn more about the university, visit:

https://collegiumintermarium.org/en/homepage/